Lost Treasures
by kittn
Summary: PLEASE R&R An old friend discovers something interesting on another planet. I'm bad at summaries. Changed to T.
1. Yes, we know

A/N: This fanfic will be set somewhere in the first few seasons, although as far as the timeline goes it is necessarily set in 2005. (It'll make sense later, especially for those of you who do the math. Sorry!) I'm going to apologize right now for the horrible spelling of most of the Jaffa terms I'm going to use; I'm aware I can't spell them, but for some odd reason I'm using them anyway. Also, I reference several trademarked/copyrighted/otherwise protected works and products. I do not claim any rights to any of these things. I am merely using them as an element of this story, which is not getting me any profits. Please don't sue me; even if you do, you won't get much.

BTW, the only characters that belong to me are Melody Favale, More', and Jor'a along with most of the other characters you don't recognize. Now this author shuts up and gets on with the story…..

* * *

The sirens blared through CMC as a voice announced, "Unscheduled off-world activation!" The members of SG-1 ran down the steps to the control room just seconds behind General Hammond, watching through the large windows as the iris closed over the gate. Colonel Jack O'Neill stood behind Captain Samantha Carter as she typed on the terminal next to Walter. "SG-1's iris code has been received, Sir," he told the General, silently double-counting the team that stood around him.

"Bra'tac?" Daniel offered as he thought through the possibilities.

"Open the iris," ordered General Hammond; SG-1 headed automatically down toward the gate. He followed them down and waited with them behind a line of armed airmen all aiming their weapons toward the event horizon.

The airmen relaxed when a familiar figure stepped through the gate and the wormhole disengaged - all, that is, except one new recruit who had never met the Jaffa. "Bra'tac!" Jack called, casually lowering the newbie's weapon for him. "Welcome back. Not that it's not a nice surprise, but we weren't expecting a visit."

"It is good to see you again, old friend," Teal'c greeted him, extending his hand.

"And you, Teal'c," Bra'tac replied as he grabbed Teal'c's forearm. "What news of Dre'auc and Ry'ac?"

"They are treated well in the Land of Light."

"Master Bra'tac." General Hammond took his turn shaking hands with their visitor. "What brings you to our world?"

"I believe I have found a member of the Tau'ri on another world."

"Well, yes, that's no surprise." Daniel was a bit confused and took up the "I'll explain it once more" tone he usually saved for Jack. "As I've told you, we believe that most of the people we encounter on other worlds originated on Earth and were displaced by the Goa'uld."

"You do not understand my meaning. I believe I have met a young girl who was more recently mistakenly transported to a world near Chu'lak."

If Bra'tac was waiting for a response, he didn't get one. All of the Tau'ri in front of him simply had confused looks on their faces. "Why don't we take this discussion to the debriefing room?" General Hammond waved the warrior through the mob of airmen who came to defend the gate and led him straight to the infirmary. Once cleared, he brought him to join SG-1, who were already discussing some possibilities.

* * *

"Daniel, what can you tell me about the experiments they ran on the gate before our first trip to Abydos?" Jack asked. Daniel got a look on his face, the one Jack had come to know and fear as his "story time" look, and he held up a hand to stop his response. "Pertinent information to its activation only."

"Well, I know they hadn't figured out how to activate it until I told them to use the symbol for Earth as the point of origin."

"Right, but using random permutations, it is possible that they managed to dial out a few times. I mean, we know they did it at least once. Who's to say they didn't do it again?" Carter theorized.

"It is possible that the gate could have been randomly dialed to reach a valid address," Teal'c interjected, "but would there not be a record of all combinations attempted by your scientists before Daniel Jackson discovered the seventh symbol?"

"Yes, we still have the records." Jack and Sam rose and saluted their CO. "And, given the fact that the gate was only successfully dialed out three times, and twice to the same address in the 1950s, we're left with only one possible address. Master Bra'tac says that's where he found a Ms. Melody Favale."

"Melody Favale… That name sounds familiar." Daniel searched his mind for a moment. "A few months before I came on, there was a young girl who got lost on the base, separated from her parents during a tour of the surface level. It was in the headlines for weeks. After a month or so of searching for her unsuccessfully they assumed she wandered off base and was kidnapped from there."

"Well, apparently kidnapping was the wrong assumption," Jack remarked. "So you say you found this girl on another planet?" _Should I be concerned that that doesn't sound strange anymore? _Jack wondered to himself.

"Yes, while I was working to strengthen the numbers of rebel Jaffa we visited a world called Fayum, under the guise of searching for further stores of naquadah. A young woman was reading a text that I have seen often on Dr. Frasier's shelves, a PDR," Bra'tac sounded out uncertainly.

"Yes, a Physicians' Desk Reference," Daniel clarified. "It outlines the uses, side effects, and interactions of basically any drug."

"On this planet," Jack threw in, intrigued.

"Which begs the question of why someone on another planet would have one unless she really is from Earth." Captain Carter was still a bit concerned about how valid this girl's claim would be. "So, how old was she?"

"She said she is 19 of your years."

"So that would mean somehow a, what," Jack began ticking off on is fingers, "nine-year-old girl got past Air Force personnel and managed to go through an active wormhole to get stuck halfway across the galaxy? If I said this in front of a shrink I'd be locked up for life!" he muttered.

"It sounded strange to me as well. I asked her for some proof to present to the leaders of your race. She gave me this." He opened his hand to reveal a small Giga pet, complete with a Mighty Morphing Power Rangers sticker attached to the back.

Jack turned the small toy over in his hands. "Yes, Tommy was popular that year."

"Oh, I remember these things!" Daniel said with disgust as Jack passed it on to him. "There was a girl who lived in the next apartment over who must have had a million of them and no idea how to mute them. They would meow, bark, and cry at all hours of the night."

Sam was a little more convinced after looking over the beat-up toy. "So a nine-year-old girl somehow gets through the gate undetected, lugging a Giga pet and a PDR? Sadly, it sounds like something that could have gone unnoticed back in the early days."

"She has many books which she brought with her through the chapa'ai," Bra'tac added. "She has learned the ways of scholars of her world based on her love of books."

"Great, another egghead." Jack picked up his pen and started clicking.

_Click, click!_

"Teal'c, what do you make of this? Could this be a goa'uld trick?" General Hammond watched as the large man thought, all the while wondering whose brilliant idea it was to give the Colonel a retractable pen.

_Click!_

"I cannot think of an instance where the goa'uld have used such methods." _Click!_ "They do not have the resources to mimic literature of this world."

_Click, click, click!_

"General Hammond, if she really is from Earth," Sam paused, collecting her thoughts. _Click! _"If she really is from Earth and she's been on another planet, she could be a valuable resource to us and sympathetic to our cause."

_Click, click!_

"General, what if we took a little trip to this planet, check out Ms. Favale's claims?" Jack set his pen down, much to everyone's relief.

"Permission granted. SG-1, you will leave for these coordinates at 0800 hours tomorrow. Master Bra'tac, I'd like to offer you the use of one of our guest quarters for the evening, assuming you would like to accompany my men in the morning."

"Yes, I believe that would be wise. Thank you for your hospitality." Bra'tac knew the base well, so he didn't need a guide to help him find where he was staying.

"Well, waddaya know? Apparently the United States lost two of its citizens through that thing thanks to their incompetence and now we get to dig both of their butts out. Aren't we special?"

"Colonel, I'm going to need you and your team to make an objective assessment of this situation. If it seems in any way that this is some sort of trick or that this girl may pose some threat to this base you are not to return with her. The primary objective of this mission is to determine whether or not this girl came from Earth. Bringing her back is secondary and dependent on your observations."

"Understood, Sir." Jack and Sam stood as General Hammond rose to leave.

Daniel rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Well, tomorrow should be interesting."

* * *

I hope that was interesting! Please read and review if you'd like to find out what happens tomorrow….. 


	2. Happy Return

A/N: I chose Fayum on the basis of my research; it is actually the name of an ancient Egyptian oasis. I apologize to anyone else who may have used it in their stories. Sorry!

Also, thank you to HTaft... talking to you made me realize my mistake! On that note: The rating of this story went from M to T; I have rewritten necessary parts to make it fit. (No change to Chapter 1) I always overrate!

* * *

True to their word, at promptly 0800 SG-1 and Master Bra'tac were geared up and waiting in the gate room. The large inner track started turning and the chevrons locked into place along with Walter's running narrative. The team received a meaningful nod from General Hammond, then stepped through the gate in search of their quarry.

The first few steps on the yet-uncharted territory revealed a very pleasant landscape. They lowered their weapons when their guide relaxed; the fact that Bra'tac felt safe here went a long way for Jack. He looked around to see grassy countryside leading to a clump of trees, beyond which he'd been told were a river and the town just ahead. The stargate itself was also surrounded by trees, beyond which they were told was miles and miles of hot, dry desert.

"So, where are the hopefully friendly natives?" O'Neill asked.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a small group of children approached the gate. The only word he could clearly make out of the cheerful din was "Bra'tac".

"Greetings," Master Bra'tac greeted the children. "These are the friends of the Tau'ri of whom I spoke."

A few of the children who had backed off a bit when they saw the imposing Teal'c relaxed a little when they learned who he was, the one who in Bra'tac's stories helped these aliens destroy two of Apophis's ships. They milled around SG-1, almost dancing in delight.

"Hey, there, kids," Jack waved a hand in their direction. "Bra'tac," he muttered, "how about we get on with this?"

Bra'tac nodded and led him down the hill towards the city. It was an appealing little place, with lots of friendly meetings in the streets of the people who were apparently wandering about at will; the only hint of unpleasantness came from the guarded looks shot at the strangers as they walked so boldly through their town. Bra'tac led them expertly through the city until they found themselves at the door to a theater. He took them through the back door and into a back room where they spotted the object of their search.

The young woman had long, brown hair wound into a tight braid and was barefoot, like the others they had seen. She was waiting nervously, doing her stretching exercises in what Jack would have considered impossible positions to music softly playing through a device in the corner. She wore a flowing skirt that fell to her ankles and was definitely of local origin, but the somewhat small shirt was obviously meant for them - unless, that is, there was an Old Navy somewhere on this planet.

Melody rose, her eyes still closed in concentration, and executed a series of turns before she realized she had company. She fell out of them gracefully and bowed low in respect. "Master Bra'tac." She straightened back up and finally fixed her eyes on the newcomers, revealing clear, although tired, brown beneath dark, heavy lashes. Jack noticed the familiar hollowness in their depths and the darkness she tried to hide, and he cursed the inefficiency of their security that had allowed her to suffer.

Bra'tac acknowledged her with a slight inclination of his head as she returned to a standing position. He reached out and they grabbed each other's forearms in the customary greeting.

She approached Jack, who was nearest her, first and read his patch. "US Air Force. Well, waddaya know? Right country and everything."

Jack regarded her with some amusement. "Where did you say you were from?"

"New Jersey," she answered simply.

"Ah." Jack said. "That would explain the accent."

"Yes, it would. You from Chicago?"

"Lucky guess," Jack returned. "So, how did you find yourself… here?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not totally sure. My parents, my brother, and I were on a tour of an Air Force base in Colorado. I went to look for a bathroom and somehow wound up in front of a chapa'ai. I didn't know what it was, but no one was watching it and it looked like water, so I stepped through it. I found myself here with no way back. A family eventually took me in and the rest is history."

Bra'tac shot her a meaningful look which none of the others could interpret, but she just shook her head and lowered her eyes.

Carter cleared her throat. "I hope you understand, but we need to be absolutely sure of what you're saying if you want to return with us through the gate."

"I thought you might say that." She pulled out a beat-up JanSport book bag stuffed to capacity with large text books. She opened the main pocket and pulled out the Physicians' Desk Reference Bra'tac had mentioned along with a book on ancient Greek civilizations, a Nancy Drew double edition, and a book on American Sign Language. She also pulled out a well-worn Bible and several notebooks. From the smaller pocket she retrieved what appeared to be a college-level Physics textbook, an early book on writing computer programs in Java, and several odds and ends including key chains and a wallet stuffed with pictures and a few American dollar bills. She had replaced the straps to the backpack, which broke years ago, with the jeans she had been wearing the day she arrived and had long outgrown. She nodded toward the Nancy Drew and Greek books. "These library books are a bit overdue."

"I'll say!" Daniel had, of course, taken interest in the book on ancient Greece and pulled out the card in the back. "These were due back, uh, almost ten years ago. That's one heck of a late fee!"

She smiled at that, feeling a little more comfortable with the strangers who offered her hope. "It's almost lunch time. Would you care to join my family?" She disappeared to change her shirt and apparently her attitude. She came back much more subdued and remained that way for the trip that took them just a few doors down from the theater. During the trip SG-1 enjoyed the same icy stares they were treated to on their way in along with a few more for their leader. Melody brought them quickly to where an older man and woman stood in front of a small hut, waiting for her return. "Mama, Papa," she said with an accent on the on the last syllable of each, slipping into the speech pattern of the locals, "these are they."

* * *

Two hours and three courses later, the members of SG-1 excused themselves from the table and met in the living room. "Well, kids, what do you think?"

"Well, her eyes aren't glowing," Daniel offered.

"There are no marks on her neck and she doesn't have any recollection of any kind of implantation. I don't sense anything, either." Sam crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against a wall. "I'd say she is who she says she is."

"She does indeed appear to be of the Tau'ri." Teal'c was too diplomatic to say it out loud, but her sense of humor had reminded her of O'Neill more than once during the meal.

Jack clapped his hands together. "Well, that settles it. She's coming with us." SG-1 followed their CO back into the dining room and took their seats again. They all sat around talking for nearly half an hour before Jack noticed the time. "OK, Ms. Favale. If you'd like to get packed we really should get out of here. General Hammond is expecting us back soon."

Melody's eyes lit up as she realized she'd be going back. "Thank you," she whispered as she stared at her hands, trying to hold back the tears of joy. She scurried around the table, gathering empty dishes and cups, and brought them into the kitchen.

More' followed behind her, bringing the leftover food from the table. "Melody, what are you doing?" she asked softly.

Melody turned around to face her second mother. "I should really clean up before I go."

More' reached over and stilled her hands. "You are free, Melody. You are no longer a slave." Melody found her eyes tearing up again when she saw the love in the older woman's eyes. She bowed low and was pulled into a hug. "You bow before no one. Now go. Prepare for your journey."

Melody's mind was racing as she packed her few belongings into her old, worn backpack. She picked up all of her books and various trinkets she'd come through the gate with, put on the delicate bracelet Jor'a had given her in secret years ago, then strapped on the weapons belt Bra'tac had given her - at the expense of More' and Jor'a, she'd found out later. She was about to begin the process of arming herself when she remembered the group in the living room was military and would probably never let her go with them armed. She removed the belt and loaded it with her weapons, took one last look around her room to make sure there was nothing else she'd left behind, then returned to the common room. She dropped her bag by the door and knelt before Jack, holding out her weapons in front of her. "Colonel, these are the weapons which were given me by Master Bra'tac. I desire to take them with me, but I understand the need for caution. I ask you take them for safekeeping."

"O-K." Jack reached forward and took the small armament from the young woman. He had a tough time believing someone so meek had mastered the many weapons she presented him. "You ready to go?"

"Yes, Colonel." Melody retrieved her backpack and some water Jor'a handed her for the short journey back to the gate. After a tearful good-bye, she left a picture of herself behind with the man and woman who had given her a home for ten years, refusing to take an apparently valuable bow and arrow set with her, and followed the team silently to the gate. She watched wide-eyed as Daniel dialed home, trying to memorize the coordinates just in case. Sam, who was searching her for any concealed weapons, noticed her staring and her heart tugged a little at that, but she knew that soon they would bring her home.

When Melody stepped out into the gate room, her first instinct was to duck away from the guns that were pointed at her. "Take it easy. She's clean," Jack called, waving her weapons in front of him appeasingly.

"Welcome back, SG-1. Ms. Favale?" General Hammond strode into the gate room, pleased at how the mission had gone. "I'm General George Hammond, US Air Force. Welcome to the mountain."

She took his outstretched hand and shook it, glad to shake someone's hand for once instead of their forearm. "General, I understand it was you who granted permission for these to come through and find me. For that I thank you." She was still using the formal speech pattern of the other world, not quite sure how she should otherwise talk to the General.

"Not at all. It's Master Bra'tac you should be thanking. Captain Carter," he called, intentionally singling out the woman. "Would you escort this young woman to the infirmary? Just a precaution, I assure you."

"I understand." Melody hiked up her backpack and followed Sam out of the gate room, and she in turn was followed by Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c. Bra'tac remained behind, set to return to Chu'lak immediately.

"Colonel O'Neill, as far as trading with these people?" General Hammond drew his flag team back to their standing orders.

"We saw a few things that might come in handy," he replied casually.

General Hammond turned back to Walter in the control room. "Inform SG-3 that they have a go on the treaty negotiations with the Prime Ambassador of Fayum."

The wormhole once more formed with a roar and a splash and the General took his leave of Master Bra'tac. Half way up the ramp Bra'tac paused. "Hammond of Texas," he called. General Hammond returned and came nearer the old master. "Take care of that one. Her life is not as easy as it seems."

General Hammond had no idea what he could mean, but he tucked that one under his cap, planning to revisit Bra'tac's warning later.

* * *

As Melody walked she recognized the gray tunnels she followed. Of course, they all looked alike, but they had haunted many nightmares of hers years ago. She was comforted by the fact that the halls weren't nearly as deserted as they had been the last time she was here. She giggled a little and got a smirk from Sam. "What?"

"It's nothing. I just realized that I must have crawled all over this base and I still don't have a clue where the bathroom is." OK, she was aware it wasn't _that_ funny, but she was so happy just to be back on her own planet she felt like she might pop. Janet immediately put Melody at ease. She sat quietly through Janet's quick external examination, the feeling of euphoria wearing off and a bit of shock starting to set in. She answered all of the doctor's questions as well as she could and even tolerated the blood sample that was drawn. After being given a clean bill of health she followed SG-1 up to the debriefing room. There she repeated for General Hammond all she had already told Jack and his team.

"Well, that is quite a story, young lady, and a good lesson to us about security. Please accept our sincere apology for the lax security and its results," General Hammond interjected once she had stopped talking. He motioned to the airman at the door. "Please show her to the guest quarters. You are not by any means a prisoner, Ms. Favale, but this is a military base and you do not have security clearance. Please make sure you are escorted by a member of our personnel at all times."

"Of course, General. Thank you." She hesitated and was about to ask a question when she decided against it. _They'll probably let me call them later_, she thought. She followed the airman, a man named Jamison who turned out to be quite friendly, through countless hallways until she had no idea where she was. He finally opened a metal door with a small window and waved her in. He made sure she was settled, then left her alone and took up his post outside her door. Yes, watching a beautiful young woman was an assignment he didn't mind a bit.

Melody looked around the small room. It wasn't exactly the Ritz, but at least it was on the right planet. She unloaded the books from her book bag and set it gingerly in a drawer, closing it on her only tie to her past. Besides the newspaper someone thoughtfully left on the desk for her there wasn't much to see. She noted the date on it, just a few days after her birthday. _One heck of a birthday present,_ she thought, tossing it aside. She picked up a remote and started flipping the channels on the TV mounted near the ceiling in the corner. She finally settled on an old episode of "MacGyver", comforted by the familiarity of the mullet-ed star. She reached back into her book bag and pulled out her old watch, the thread for which she'd pulled out long ago to save the battery. She set it to the local time, 3 pm, once she remembered to convert over from military time. She yawned and flopped on the bed, eyes still facing the TV screen. She muttered contentedly to herself as she nodded off, "Oh, yeah, this is home. Concrete walls, old mattresses, and reruns on the tube."

* * *

OK, so I couldn't resist the "MacGyver" reference... so sue me! If you'd really like to complain, there's a little button on the bottom of this page that'll help...

Extra note: I apologize if I threw anyone off, but I realized I forgot to insert the scene breaks. SORRY! It's fixed now.


	3. Bygones

A/N: OK, folks, here's a long one. And now I start to beg: PLEASE read and review! I see this story has had a few hits, but no reviews yet! Should I keep going? Should I remove this? Should I stand on my head and cluck like a chicken? Let me know!

And on that note...

* * *

While Melody was settling in to her new surroundings, General Hammond was sharing with SG-1 and Janet, who had since joined them, the warning Bra'tac left with him.

Dr. Fraiser opened the file in front of her. "Yes, well, about that 'not easy' thing. From what you told me Melody was supposedly a scholar, but she had some bruises on her arms that I couldn't fathom being normal for a scholar on any world. She told me she had trained with Master Bra'tac to become a warrior for Fayum, but that her last combat session had been months ago. Those bruises couldn't have been more than three or four days old."

"Could she have hurt herself dancing?" Teal'c asked. O'Neill turned a questioning gaze on him. "When we entered she was performing a traditional dance known by many Jaffa. It is performed at celebrations and is often used for entertainment."

"You dance?" Jack asked with a grin, picturing the stoic man sitting next to him twirling around like a top. Other than one raised eyebrow, his comment was completely ignored.

"No, none of those injuries were consistent with anything like a slip and fall. Unless she repeatedly rammed her arms into a barre or some other hard object, these injuries probably aren't innocent." Dr. Fraiser turned from Teal'c to General Hammond. "Sir, I'd like permission to give Ms. Favale a more thorough examination."

"I'll allow it if she'll agree to it. You can ask her first thing in the morning. Let her rest for now." Dr. Fraiser nodded her thanks and retreated from the room, returning to her paperwork and the few patients awaiting her in the infirmary. The General turned to Colonel O'Neill, who had unfortunately resumed his pen clicking. "Colonel? Do you have something to add?"

"No, Sir, just one _really_ bad feeling."

Daniel nodded his agreement. "They seemed to be very easy going people, but most societies aren't very accepting of newcomers. At least, not as accepting as Melody would lead us to believe."

Jack practically snorted. "Even I got that. Did you notice the dirty looks they were giving us? You'd think our eyes were glowing or something."

"So, Daniel, what are you saying?" Captain Carter asked, confused.

"I'm saying that for her to be so totally integrated into this society would most likely either take a very, very long time being ostracized by the locals or some sort of initiation into their culture. She has no obvious cut marks on her face or forearms that would be consistent with initiation into many African cultures or any other marks of membership that I could see, but each different society has its own unique way for someone to gain acceptance."

"Daniel, any idea what that would be for these people?" Jack asked.

"Well," he started, searching for something intelligent to say. He finally gave up. "No. Melody is the only one who could tell us that, unless we return to ask the locals."

"Sir, why don't we speak with her tomorrow? We should probably speak to her before Janet gets to her, so maybe over breakfast?" Sam offered to Jack.

"All right, SG-1, we'll report for duty tomorrow to have breakfast with a teenager," Jack agreed, wondering why that sounded more odd to him than going to a dinner party on another planet.

"That's fine, but I want you to remember that she has trained with Bra'tac. I don't want any of you pushing any buttons that might set her off."

"I do not believe we should be worried, General Hammond. Any training she would have received from him would have also stressed that she should not use it unless she is in serious danger," Teal'c explained.

"All the same, just make sure you're _all_ there before you push any buttons. Dismissed." General Hammond walked briskly out of the room.

"Well, I guess I'll see you all in the morning." Jack picked up his note pad, now covered with random dots from tapping his pen on it, and headed for the lockers.

* * *

"Oh, seven o'clock is way too early in the morning to have to come in to work," Daniel complained the next day as he plopped down in the cafeteria across from to Sam. He'd only stopped on his way over for a cup of coffee, which he was trying to muster up the energy to bring to his lips to drink.

Sam smiled at his disheveled appearance. "You seemed to have no problem with it yesterday."

"Yeah, but that was for a mission, not to sit here and psychoanalyze someone." He put his head on his arm, hoping he wouldn't fall asleep right there.

He lost all fear of dozing off when he heard a tray plop down dangerously close to his head. "Good morning, kids!" Jack dug into his greasy home fries hungrily. "Daniel, eat something," he said authoritatively. "We need you to interrogate our new friend."

"Once my stomach wakes up," he agreed, rubbing his eyes once more.

Teal'c soon joined the rest of them at the small table, crowding himself and Melody into what was usually a four-person table by seating her next to Sam and himself at the head of the table, between Jack and Melody. "See, even the new girl has an appetite," Jack teased Daniel. He shot the colonel an exasperated look before getting up for something solid to eat.

It was quiet as the five ate together, something rare for SG-1. Melody was markedly uncomfortable among the strangers. It was a feeling she was used to; she'd been the new girl on another planet, so being the new girl on just a base was a relative breeze. She felt the eyes of SG-1 appraising her over the table. She was glad she had worn her hair out today, something she hadn't been able to do in years. It was earning her appreciative glances from the young airmen, but it did nothing to break the tension at the table.

Not surprisingly, Jack was the first to break the silence. "So, Melody, you're from Jersey, huh? Know any mobsters?"

She was confused until she saw the grin on his face and heard the snickers coming from Sam and Daniel. "Not as far as I know, Sir, no," she answered honestly and with a smile. "Although the guy from next door did leave the country rather abruptly right around the time some detectives came asking questions. Speaking of, I was wondering…" She paused before continuing, and when she began speaking she had slipped back into the formal pattern of speech that had become second nature to her over the years. "I do not wish to be too forward, but will it be possible for me to contact any members of my family?" She lowered her eyes as she finished, afraid of the answer she would get.

Jack looked back and forth from Daniel to Sam, who were both looking at him expectantly. He silently mouthed, "Me?", then shook his head, motioning to Sam to take the question.

Sam tried to shake her head and pass the buck, but Jack and Daniel looked away, suddenly intrigued by their plates and forks. "Well, that gets kind of sticky," she relented, her eyes shooting daggers at her coworkers. "See, the Stargate Program and everything that goes on in this mountain is classified. Very few people outside of those who work here have any idea that stargates even exist. It'd be kind of hard to explain to your parents how you disappeared _into_ a mountain and we just now found you."

Melody nodded in understanding, looking only mildly disappointed. Her discomfort over, she relaxed her speech. "I understand. I thought you might say that, I just hoped I could see them again soon."

"Well, once we come up with a good reason why you could have disappeared, right under the nose of the US military, for ten years and then been found in the same place, still under the nose of the US military, then we might be able to get you in touch with your family. Until then, …" Daniel let his voice trail off, motioning around him at the mountain that would be her temporary home.

"I've thought about that," Melody said timidly, "and I may have a suggestion." She knew she shouldn't be afraid to speak up, not here where she had rights, but she still couldn't bring herself to look at the others at the table. She had spent too much time living in fear for her to let go of it now.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, somewhat unsure of how good an idea this girl could have come up with on her own that would fly with the military.

"Oh, you have, have you?" Jack put down his fork and gestured toward her with his hand. "Please share."

"Well, you guys are going to have to clear up some of the details if we're going to use this plan." She still sounded insecure as she pulled a piece of paper from the pocket of the BDUs she'd been issued. "When I was here ten years ago, there was a small hole in the fence around the base, somewhere around here." She pointed to an area about 20 yards east of the entrance to the ground level. "We could say I wandered off, looking for a bathroom, and I wound up outside. Someone called me over from outside the hole in the fence, saying he knew where to find a Port-A-Potty, and kidnapped me from there."

"And he managed to keep you for ten years?" Jack knew he'd said it harshly, but if he didn't pick apart her plan now someone else would later.

"Well, yes, that's one of the details I needed you guys to help me clean up. I'm thinking we could say he managed to keep me locked up in his basement for a year or two, but after that…"

Sam piped up. "Well, there is a psychological phenomenon known to occur in hostages who have been held in captivity for long periods of time. They eventually believe that there is no way to escape from captivity, even to the point that their captor can leave them alone for hours or days at a time and they will never once try to set foot out of their boundaries; sometimes their hostages get to the point where they see nothing wrong with their captivity or their captor."

"Stockholm syndrome," Jack blurted, ignoring the surprised looks. "But again, for ten years?"

"Yeah, that'll be a problem," Daniel agreed, his face revealing that he was deep in thought. Jack looked at him expectantly. "I've got nothing."

"There is a tactic used by the Goa'uld," Teal'c supplied, speaking up for the first time. "They convince their slaves that their spies are everywhere and there is no escape. It takes years and is sometimes very difficult, but most will eventually believe it. If they do not, they convince the slaves that there is nothing for them outside of captivity, that they have completely destroyed all existence as they knew it. They eventually come to believe that they have no family, no home, and no friends left to return to. In their depression they will submit to their captivity. Often they are slaves for life."

"Yes, Teal'c, but we can't exactly tell people that the Goa'uld had her. Kinda messes up the 'classified' thing." Jack looked over to Melody, who was being very quiet. "We'll figure it out. Eventually. Hey, speaking of figuring things out," Melody looked confused at his abrupt change in subject, "I believe Daniel had a few questions for you about this culture you came into. Daniel?"

_Subtle, Jack, real subtle,_ Daniel thought sarcastically. "Well, yes," he tried to recover some hint of discretion, "umh, I was wondering how you came to be so … integrated into the new society. Was there some sort of initiation or trial phase?" He tried to phrase it as delicately as possible without coming out and asking if she had been brainwashed or otherwise abused to gain her status.

Melody grew more uncomfortable as her mind raced for a good explanation. "When I came through the gate, I was greeted by the children of the city. Apparently meeting newcomers at the gate has been a pastime of the children for generations. I, however, didn't have the advantage of being with a friend of the city as you did. They were afraid and ran for the woods, hiding behind the trees and peeking out to see what I would do. They eventually got bored with watching me push random buttons on the … what did you call it?" She drew a picture in the air with her hands.

"A DHD," Sam supplied.

"Yes, the DHD," she repeated. "Well, I couldn't get the darn thing to turn on, and trust me I spent hours trying to get it to work. I lived in the woods for a few days, eating berries and leaves and drinking the water from a small stream. I got pretty sick."

Jack cringed slightly. "Find some poison berries?" he asked.

"No. You know the saying 'don't drink the water'?" She received three knowing grimaces and one confused Jaffa look.

"I am unfamiliar with that expression."

Sam drew his attention. "The microbes in the water. Every water supply has its own unique assortment. If you're not used to them they'll make you sick even if the locals can tolerate it." Teal'c nodded in understanding, turning to Melody as she continued.

"I went back to the gate and tried to activate it again, but it didn't work. While I was working on the … DHD," she pulled out triumphantly, "an older couple came along to harvest some berries from the bushes near the gate. The man wanted to take me to the guard house, but the woman realized I was sick and took pity on me. Come to think of it, she surprised me when I was able to understand her. I thought maybe I was in some remote part of England or something. She and her husband collected the berries then offered to take me to their home."

"So that was More' and Jor'a?" Daniel was probably the only one at the table who remembered the odd names of the couple.

Melody nodded. "More' is a healer. She took care of me until my stomach could handle drinking the water, then told me where I was. I didn't believe her until I saw some Jaffa come through the gate a few weeks after I did. No offense, but those tattoos really freaked me out."

"It is a common reaction," Teal'c assured her.

"But that wasn't half as bad as when Apophis came through. Glowing eyes, deep voice…" She shivered at the memory. "What was with him, anyway? He looked like a human, but then he didn't."

"We can explain that later. Why don't you continue?" Daniel was hoping she'd eventually get to where she was accepted into the society.

"Yes, sir." Jack snickered at her respectful tone. "Apophis never came through for more than a few hours, only stopping to get a head count and occasionally taking one or two people from the village. Jor'a just barely tolerated me in his house at first, muttering to More' about the weak little girl who did nothing but drink their water and eat their food. He eventually got used to me, I guess, and started talking to me. He stopped threatening to turn me over to the guards, but their neighbors had other ideas. More' and Jor'a kept me hidden as long as they could, but one of their neighbors dropped by unexpectedly one day. He saw me and dragged me out to the guard house. I spent, oh, I don't know, a few months in a jail cell there until they were certain I had wasn't a threat to them. They trained me in their culture and released me to live with More' and Jor'a. Jor'a is a teacher there, so he committed me to become a scholar. More' saw my books and decided to train me in her 'art' as she called it as well. I learned all Jor'a had to teach within a few years. After that I took a test and was admitted into their culture as a second-class citizen."

"What does that mean to them? A slave?" Daniel asked.

"No, no, nothing like that. At least, not to my parents. It's a law that when there is any large celebration all the second-class citizens have to provide their services for serving, cooking, cleaning, and whatever else they need to be done; they also take care of various odd jobs around town, which is how we explained my performances in the theater. My parents had no choice but allow them to make me work, but they treated me well. They kept me as a daughter in their home and let me study what I wanted. Bra'tac was an old friend of Fayum, and he trained me as a warrior. He also spoke to the director of the theater, who trained me in dance to keep up my skills in between Bra'tac's visits. I wanted to join the guard, but I was an outsider and a girl. I wasn't allowed. I still trained hard and Bra'tac said I would qualify for the Jaffa guard, but it wasn't exactly something he suggested I should do." She shared a knowing look with Teal'c. Bra'tac had told her of the service Teal'c had provided for Apophis before he helped the Tau'ri.

"Indeed."

"I eventually learned a little about the herbs and plants used for medicine on their planet, but it was so confusing for me. I hadn't grown up there. More' was disappointed that I couldn't master what she had done for years, what she'd hoped to teach the daughter she never had, but she understood my difficulty. I guess it was my knowledge that eventually made them allow me into their society."

Daniel noticed her use of "allow" instead of "accept". He figured he'd press her a little further. "So, that was it? They kept you as a prisoner for a few months and then just let you go?"

Melody lowered her eyes. _I'll have to tell them eventually,_ she figured. She took a deep breath and spoke freely for the first time in ten years. "The guard swore the neighbor to secrecy and kept me imprisoned in a small cell in the basement." Daniel noticed she once again slipped into the formal speech pattern, figuring it was to mask some discomfort. Jack noticed the guise, too; he did something similar to that himself, except her tone got more respectful and his… well, didn't. "They interrogated me daily, asking me to share my knowledge of the chapa'ai and what purpose I had in their world. They finally decided I was not a threat nor did I understand the gate technology, so they left me for several days until they could find someone to take me. More' and Jor'a are considered some of the more respectable elders of the city, and the guard assumed they would be able to control me. They permitted me to go with them to be their servant girl, and they agreed to the arrangement but allowed me more freedom than they should."

"More than they should?" Jack shouted indignantly. "You were effectively sold into slavery for cryin' out loud. That's a heck of a lot _less_ freedom than you deserved."

"I did not have a choice, Colonel." She looked at him, her eyes beginning to tear up. "It was either that or remain imprisoned with the guard until I either died of starvation or of illness. So, yes, in their eyes allowing me to study and learn the art of war was more freedom than I deserved. There were many in the city who made that opinion quite clear."

Sam had long finished her food and was grateful for that, anticipating the answer to her next question. "How exactly did they express their opinion?"

"I did not understand their vernacular at first, but apparently they expressed some choice words for me whenever I walked through the village behind More' or Jor'a." She lowered her head, clearly debating whether to say more.

Daniel urged her on. "And when you weren't with them?"

She took a deep breath, wondering how far to go. "There were… beatings. That is why Master Bra'tac desired to train me. He wished to protect me from them 'keeping the slave in line', as they called it."

"And that was _all_ they did? Beat you at first? For how long?" Jack was growing more angry by the minute. _So she was kidnapped, beaten, sold into slavery, and then beaten some more,_ he thought. How could anyone treat a child so harshly?

Carter caught Jack's eye, hoping he'd get the silent "take it easy!" she was sending him. He settled down to a slow simmer and let the conversation continue. "How long did it take you to get past the initiation phase?" Sam asked gently.

Melody continued to stare at the tray her eyes hadn't left for quite some time. "It did not end." Jack actually bit his fist in anger, leaving the rest of the team glad she couldn't see his reaction as long as she kept looking down. She continued quietly, determined to keep her emotions at bay. "The beatings became more regular. Once I learned to defend myself the boys began to attack me in groups of five or more, waiting for me to leave the theater or remove the garbage from our home at night. They would…" She cut off the unsteady stream of words, taking a deep breath to renew the strong mask she'd determined to keep up.

Jack was seething in his seat, but he had one more thing he had to know. Being the cynic of the group he knew he'd be the one who would have to ask. "Melody," he choked out. He consciously evened out his voice. "Melody, you said it was always groups of boys. I can't help but wonder … was it just beatings? Or was there more?"

Everyone knew what was on Jack's mind, including Melody, so she just nodded. "It began as beatings, but when I became older and the boys grew to be men …" She didn't need to finish the sentence. She still hadn't lifted her eyes from her half-eaten plate of watery scrambled eggs and burned bacon.

Teal'c was the only one whose face didn't register horror, but even his eyebrow was raised at the cryptic admission. They allowed her several moments to push the memory from her mind, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, Teal'c piped up. "What of More' and Jor'a? Would they not have protected you?"

"Yes, they would have," she assured him, grateful for the change of subject. She relaxed figuring the worst part was over. "But I couldn't do that to them. People already started whispering behind their backs at how they allowed the outsider to 'live without the discipline she needed'." She finally raised her eyes from her tray, but picked a spot on the wall above Daniel's head to stare at. "They're not stupid. They suspected that I had difficulties with the others, but there was nothing they could do. They would have lost their stature in the society, and there that is ultimately suicide. Without your stature you have no way of supporting yourself or your family. I couldn't ask it of them, either; they had already done more for me than I could have hoped. It would've done no good for any of us for them to be outcast."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, let me understand this. They _knew?_" Jack spat.

"Colonel," she made eye contact for the first time since she'd begun. "Don't blame them. I don't. They did all they could. Jor'a tried to help me a few times, but he was taken to trial for allegedly attacking a few teens. He was lucky to escape that charge with his life. I couldn't ask him to do it again."

A silence settled over the table. Their questions had been answered, but it didn't make any of them feel any better. Jack couldn't sit still any longer; he slammed his hands down on the table, picked up his tray, and stormed off away from the cafeteria. No one else at the table said a word until Janet tracked Melody down to bring her in for a more complete physical. Noting the odd mood, she made brief eye contact with Captain Carter before she announced her presence. She didn't like what that look conveyed. "Ms. Favale?" she greeted uncertainly.

"Dr. Fraiser!" she exclaimed, startled. "It's good to see you again. And please, it's Melody. Would you like to join us for breakfast?" She motioned ruefully to the empty chair next to Daniel.

"No, actually I was hoping to run some more tests. Yesterday was just the preliminary physical."

"Why? Did something come up?" Melody asked.

"No, but you've been living on another planet for better than half of your life. We just want to make sure that hasn't had a negative impact on you physically."

Melody nodded her head and excused herself from the table. She placed her tray in the little window marked "tray return" and followed Doctor Fraiser back through the hallways until she was once again sure she was lost. "It's going to take me a while to learn my way around this place," she confessed as she changed into a hospital gown behind a curtain.

"You want to know the truth?" Janet asked rhetorically. "Sometimes I still get a little turned around in this place."

"Oh, _that's_ encouraging," Melody joked sarcastically. She was fully at ease with the doctor, which was a good thing since she'd be spending lots of time with her today. "So, what's up first?" she asked as she emerged in the gown and her pants.

"Well, the first thing is that we're going to take a DNA sample." Janet waved a cotton swab in front of her.

"Oh, yuck!" She opened wide and let her take the sample. "That was pretty gross. Anything else you're gonna shove in my mouth, you might as well do it now."

"No, that was it." The doctor ran a few more simple tests, including testing her reflexes and taking her blood pressure again. "Next I'm going to hook you up to a couple of electrodes and have you run on a treadmill for a little while. That's to evaluate your cardiovascular function."

Melody nodded her understanding. "I've been trapped on an alien planet for ten years with almost nothing but a PDR. Trust me, I understand." She took up her position on the belt and started walking as Janet slowly added speed. She kept up easily as the speed increased. "Do you have a rubber band?"

"What?"

"My hair. It's a little out of control." Janet laughed when she got a look at Melody's face; her long, waist-length hair was tangling and sticking to the sheen of sweat forming on her face. Melody tied her hair back in a _very_ messy pony tail and continued running. "So, how long do I have to do this?"

Janet smiled. "Just a few more minutes." She continued to watch the monitor as Melody ran, making notes in the file in her hand. "Annnnnd, done." Janet tore the printout free and returned to the cot Melody had been sitting on before. "All right, next I'm going to run an abdominal ultrasound to make sure there are no imminent problems with your vital organs."

Melody nodded uncomfortably and laid back on the cot, settling in for what was sure to be a slimy adventure. Her discomfort grew when Janet pulled her gown up to reveal her stomach and gasped. Melody knew she had some bruising - when didn't she? - but she didn't think it was that bad. "What is it, Doctor?"

"Melody, when did this happen to you?"

Melody shrugged. "Honestly, I don't remember. Umh, maybe three nights ago, when I was leaving the theater."

"How could you not remember something like this?" Janet asked incredulously. She only got another shrug in response followed by stony silence. She figured she'd pushed it far enough, so she continued on quietly with the test. "Just let me know if I hit a tender spot, OK?"

About halfway through the test Jack walked in and, as usual, didn't bother knocking. "Yikes! Sorry!" he yelled as he ducked back to the other side of the curtain. Still, he hadn't retreated fast enough. He saw the ugly bruises on her abdomen and the firm set of her jaw as Janet worked the little whatever it was over the bruises. He thought he had calmed down before he came back in, but that just set him off again. He stormed away from the infirmary and headed straight for General Hammond's office.

* * *

General Hammond had gotten used to Colonel O'Neill not bothering to knock before he entered his superior's office. He came to expect the casual and often insubordinate tone the leader of his best team took with him. He wasn't expecting him to come in red-faced, trying and barely succeeding to conceal … what? Rage? "Colonel O'Neill, what is going on?"

"What's going on, Sir, is that we have a young woman down in the infirmary right now who was severely abused on another planet since she was a child, and I vote we do something about it!"

"Colonel, I suggest you take a few deep breaths and then explain yourself."

"Yes, Sir. I-" Jack was cut off by a knock on the door.

General Hammond held up one finger to Jack. "Come!" he called. He was mildly surprised to see Captain Samantha Carter come through the door.

"Sir, I need to speak with you - oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," she amended quickly when she saw her immediate superior sitting in his own superior's office.

"What did you want to talk about?" the General asked patiently.

"Umh, I'm a bit concerned about Melody, Sir."

"Well, come on in! Have a seat. That party was just getting started." Jack waved an arm toward the empty seat on his right. He had just opened his mouth to speak again when there was another knock on the door.

"Come!" the general called again. The man on the other side of the door was none other than Dr. Daniel Jackson. "Dr. Jackson. What can I do for you?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything … I just felt the need to discuss some observations I've made -"

"About Melody?" Jack interrupted impatiently. When Daniel nodded, Jack stood up and vacated a chair for him, waving him into it.

Jack was just about to begin again when there was another knock on the door. "Oh, for cryin' out loud!" He turned and opened the door he had been leaning on to reveal Teal'c on the other side. "T?"

"O'Neill. I came to speak with General Hammond."

"Yeah, who didn't. Come on in," he invited, not even waiting for the General's response. He looked up and down the hallway before he closed the door to begin again. "Sir, as I was saying, I vote we go back to that planet and kick some tail."

"I can't authorize a revenge mission to a planet we've only observed for a few hours for no good reason. Why on earth would you want to go back there?" he asked, not noting the irony of his word choice.

"Sir," Sam squeezed in before Jack could go off again, "Melody told us this morning that she was effectively a slave and punching bag on that planet."

"And, unfortunately, that is not the worst part of her treatment there." Teal'c moved his arms from behind his back to cross them over his chest.

"She seemed just fine to me. She didn't seem like she had been tortured."

"Well, Sir, you also saw her wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a long skirt. I, uh, accidentally walked in on one of her tests, and she's got some serious bruising that you haven't seen. I'm sure there's more that _I_ haven't seen. Sir, if I had bruises like that I'd be bent over double, and by their rules it was all perfectly legal." Jack stopped talking to reign himself in.

"Her behavior in public on that planet was similar to the behavior of those who have been beaten into submission." She wasn't sure, but Sam thought she heard a note of anger in the usually neutral Jaffa's voice.

"You're telling me that she was abused on this planet. I get that, but what could we possibly do about it? You said yourself there were no laws broken." General Hammond didn't like it any more than anyone else did, but diplomatically they couldn't just barge in and attack because a few people had mistreated one of their own.

"Just because it was legal doesn't make it right," Daniel argued. "There has to be something we can do here."

Jack was about to interject when he was again cut off by a knock on the door. He turned and opened it. "Dr. Fraiser, come on in if you can find the room."

She was surprised to find the whole team of SG-1 in General Hammond's office, well, at least all at once. She actually did have to squeeze herself into the corner between the desk and the wall in order for Jack to close the door again. "Sir, I wanted to discuss the results of some of the tests I ran on Melody." She looked around the room pointedly.

"It's all right, Doctor. You can discuss it in front of them. SG-1 was just in here expressing some concern over her physical condition."

"I hate to say it, but they have good reason. I ran a few tests on her, and from what I can tell she has quite a bit of scar tissue from things like tears in her spleen. She's had several limbs broken several times, more than a few concussions, and a few broken ribs over the years. The broken arms and legs healed up just fine, apparently thanks to More', but the medicine woman apparently didn't have any solution for the ribs to heal properly. She currently has some internal bleeding, which she says is nothing new, and I'm concerned about some marks I found on her back." Janet pulled out a digital camera and showed General Hammond the marks she was referring to.

Jack snatched the camera and his body went numb. His voice was so low it worried his teammates. "Whip marks." It was something he knew from experience.

Janet shook her head sadly. "She wouldn't tell me what made the marks, but she said it happened three nights ago after her dance partner forgot his cue during a performance, causing her to slip and sprain her ankle. She was punished for her mistake afterwards."

Jack practically threw the camera on the desk when he was finally able to tear his eyes away. "You want your reason to go back and raise a little hell? Well, there it is." With that he stormed out of the office, no clear destination in mind.

Everyone watched the door after it closed (or more accurately slammed), but no one was particularly surprised. Jack had always been very protective of his men and even more of helpless children, especially since Charlie died. They knew that he wasn't picturing the men of the city brutalizing the woman they all saw, a strong adult who had been trained as a warrior, but in his mind he was seeing the little girl from the pictures in the newspaper articles the General had dug up, small, defenseless, and innocent. None of them thought she deserved that treatment, Jack was just less afraid to show it.

One by one the others filed out of General Hammond's office until only Teal'c remained. "They should pay their due," he said simply, gripping his hands behind his back again before he left the General to his thoughts.

And for the first time since he'd met him, General Hammond understood why so many feared Teal'c.

* * *

OK, guys, it's that time! Push that lovely little button right below this paragraph and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism welcome!


	4. Dinner & Testing

A/N: Wow! You guys are awesome! Thank you for reviewing! (I was starting to get a little worried there...) Well, since you all gave me the warm fuzzies, here's a new chapter. This one is a bit llight on SG-1, but I promise they'll be all over the next chapter!

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Melody shifted uncomfortably on the cold, metal table. "So, can we get this MRI over with? It's a little chilly in here." She adjusted the paper gown she'd been told to wear in a futile effort to get a little more warmth.

Janet had returned from General Hammond's office feeling a little better for having shared the test results and have her suspicions confirmed. "OK, in just a second you'll start to feel yourself moving into the tube. I need you to stay as still as possible until you start to move out. Are you claustrophobic at all?"

"No," Melody called as the table began to move. She took a deep breath and locked her muscles, managing not to twitch for the entire time she was in there. She didn't let the breath out until she felt the table jerk and then slide forward again. "That wasn't too bad."

"See, now if you'd just put that on a billboard for me maybe I'd be able to convince some of my other patients," Janet said with a smile. "Well, it seems I've run out of reasons to keep you down here. You can go get changed again." She sat down and made a few marks on Melody's chart before she set it aside. She had thought ahead to provide her with a basin of warm water and a washcloth so she could give herself a quick sponge bath before she put the BDUs back on. Janet was surprised that she'd somehow managed to straighten out that awful mess of hair. "Impressive."

Melody walked over to her, twisting her hair into another braid. "I hope you didn't need that rubber band," she said with a smile. "My hair might try to take over the base without it."

"We have enough aliens trying to take over the base as it is," Jack commented dryly as he came up behind her, his fingers still styling his hair. He was freshly showered and much more calm after spending an hour sparring with Teal'c.

"Colonel O'Neill." She smiled a genuine smile back at him; several hours had passed since their last meeting and they were both in much better moods. "I was about to head down to the cafeteria to get some dinner. Would you like to join me?"

Jack looked at his watch. "Holy … smokes. Is it really 1730? I think I will join you for that dinner."

"You might want to wait on that, Sir. Melody, I got permission from General Hammond. We're going off-base tonight." Captain Carter had a huge smile on her face.

"You mean I can go outside now?" Melody had been longing to go outside, to be reassured that she was really home.

"Well, we figure if you haven't tried to kill us yet, a quick trip to the surface won't cause any damage. You're more than welcome to join us, Sir. I was going to invite you, Daniel, and Teal'c anyway. Janet, you can join us if you'd like."

"Thanks, Sam, but I've got to get home. Cassandra's probably already wondering where I've been all day."

"That's fine. Colonel?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Sounds good, as long as the boys come along." He turned on his heel and went to the door. "Uh, where exactly are we going?"

"I thought Melody would like to pick."

"Ah. Let me know." With that Jack took off to get changed and ready for a night out.

Melody looked at Sam, thoroughly confused. "Uh, I have no idea what restaurants are around here."

"Well, there's -" Samantha began but was stopped abruptly.

"Are there any diners around here? I mean real Jersey diners that are open all night and make most of their money off of fries." _It's as close to home as I'm gonna get_, she figured.

Sam smiled. "You can take the girl out of New Jersey… Sure, we've got one of those. My treat, obviously, since you've got all of four dollars to go on."

Melody's cheeks reddened. "No, that's OK. I can use that."

Samantha raised her eyebrows. "Are you aware that you can pretty much only afford a soft drink with that four dollars? Anyway, I think the Air Force might be picking this one up, as long as we're taking you out. Plus," Carter whipped out a small billfold, "they gave us this to get you some more suitable clothing."

"Ugh! I hate shopping!" Melody complained, only half serious. "Well, if we must we must." She followed Sam as she went to get her own clothes out of a locker, navigating the twists and turns like she had a map. She didn't want to admit it since she really did hate shopping, but the idea of getting herself into a real clothes store on her home planet after ten years was an appealing prospect. She thought about what she wanted to buy while Sam changed, emerging just moments before the others joined them. Whereas she had been walking around a military base all day, now she was noticeably out of place wearing her BDUs when everyone else was wearing jeans.

If anyone else noticed her conspicuousness, they didn't comment. "So, where are we headed?" Jack asked as they rode up in the elevator.

"Well, we thought maybe we could go to the diner tonight," Sam said with a smirk. She knew what Daniel thought of that place as well as what Jack did.

"Really? The kid has taste!" Jack said ecstatically. _Finally_ someone was on his side!

Daniel just grimaced a little, glad Melody couldn't see his face. "Great. Diner it is." Teal'c, naturally, had no preference, but was aware of Daniel's distaste.

Melody felt a little guilty when she heard his comment. "We could go somewhere else, if you want. Any suggestions?"

"No, no, we said you can pick. You chose the diner, so we go to the diner. Right?" Jack asked smugly. He got nods from all around the elevator car just as the doors opened. "So, whose car?"

With Teal'c present they would not all fit in the same vehicle, so they had to take two cars. Jack and Teal'c got into Jack's truck while Sam, Daniel, and Melody rode in Sam's sedan. (A/N: I have no idea what either of them actually drives, but I've seen Sam driving a sedan in a few episodes and with Jack… well, I just took a guess. You may berate me by pushing the lovely little button on the bottom of the page.) The rides in each vehicle were silent for different reasons: In one car, Melody couldn't get enough of the view out the window, the feel of the car running, and the warm air of late August in Colorado and in the other Teal'c was, well, Teal'c.

The diner was less than a ten minute ride away and Melody was almost sad for the trip to come to an end. She climbed out of the car into the parking lot of a diner that looked just like it belonged in her home neighborhood. "Oh, this'll do fine," she whispered to Carter as they headed in. They were seated quickly in a corner of the diner and handed menus and glasses of water. When the waitress asked her what drink she wanted, Melody almost fell over. "I'll have a Sprite," she said triumphantly to the stares of those around her. "Hey, it's been a long time since I've done that!" she explained. She knew she shouldn't go into further detail in a public place, and that she didn't need to.

Dinner went off without incident, each of the members of the team trying to get to know this girl better. She'd ordered a pretty healthy meal, which was surprising given what was on the menu, and resorted to fruit salad for dessert. "They're all vegetarians," she'd stated simply when her vegetable wrap came to the table. The fries, however, were definitely not the "healthy" part of her meal but without contest the things she enjoyed most.

"Now _that_," Jack said once he'd finished his ice cream, "is what I call a good meal." The others, even Daniel, couldn't disagree. They all went to get up from the table to pay the tab when Melody froze in place. "You all right?" Jack asked, gripping her upper arm before she fell over.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, straightening her legs out slowly. "I just sat too long. A little ACL."

Jack was about to ask how someone so young had come about a problem he himself had only developed in recent years, but he bit his tongue. He figured regular beatings could do all sorts of messed up things to a body. He just held on to her arm to give her balance while she bent and straightened her right knee a few times. A few moments later she was good as new and ready to follow the rest of them out of the diner. "So you're sure you're all right?"

She nodded with a rueful smile. "Yeah, it's done that for about a year. I'm used to it." She tossed one last reassuring glance over her shoulder before she headed out the door to admire the view of a single moon. She found out to her dismay that it was back to the mountain for her tonight; it was getting late and most of the clothes stores were closed anyway. Teal'c was due to spend the night at the SGC, so he escorted her back to her room. "Thank you, Teal'c," she said at the end of their silent yet comfortable journey.

"You are welcome. Rest well." He shut the door behind him as he left, giving Melody some privacy so she could change into the Air Force sweats and T-shirt she'd been provided to sleep in before he posted a new guard at her door. "Watch well," he admonished before he left to continue his duty.

* * *

It was about 0300 when the guard heard a quiet knocking on the door. He almost missed it at first, it was so muted, but it was too persistent for him to ignore. He knocked back to warn her he was coming in and Melody backed away from the door. He opened the door and saw her bent over, one hand wrapped around her stomach and one hand supporting herself on the desk. "Whoa! Are you OK?" he asked.

_I'm going to get really sick of that question_, she thought. Out loud she only said, "I think I'm going to be sick."

He took a quick look around the room, realizing there not only wasn't a toilet in there but someone had forgotten to place a garbage can anywhere in her quarters. He put her free hand over his shoulders and just barely got her to the bathroom before she lost her dinner. "Man! I haven't felt this bad since… Oh, man!" She suddenly realized her mistake: she hadn't drunk the water, but her soda had had ice in it. She rose from the bathroom floor, making sure she hadn't left a mess, and came back out to meet the airman. "Thank you," she said, stubbornly refusing any help in getting back. She went straight back to her room and curled up on her bed, wishing she'd brought some of the herbs More' had used to help her when she first took Melody in. It was going to be a long night.

The airman peeked in through the window every hour or so, just to make sure Melody was still all right. She'd left the light on and didn't feel like getting up to turn it off, so he had a good view of her laying on her side, both hands wrapped tightly around her abdomen. He felt sorry for her; it was his understanding that she'd been lost on another planet for years and had only returned to earth yesterday just to get sick on her second night back. That had to be disappointing! He was more than a little nervous that Teal'c kept coming back to check on his charge, but the airman was grateful he hadn't been able to fall asleep. He did _not_ want the opportunity to find out what the big guy looked like when he was angry.

* * *

Teal'c sympathized with Melody's illness. He hadn't told anyone, but on his first night with the Tau'ri he had made the mistake of drinking a cup of water. He had been grateful to have his symbiote to heal him that night, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling he had until he'd had the opportunity to kel'no'rim. He occasionally entered the room throughout the night, bringing damp cloths to wipe her forehead and hopefully soothe her fever. Each time he'd entered, Melody had thanked him profusely for his thoughtfulness and kindness, evidence of the attitude of someone who was unused to being treated well. This only incensed him further against the elders of her city; who would be so willing to treat such a kind young spirit with such dishonor?

Teal'c was once again in her room at 0900 when General Hammond came in to question their guest himself, bringing Colonel O'Neill with him. Melody had anticipated the visit and washed up; she was now sitting at the desk in her BDUs talking to Teal'c. She stood automatically when she saw the General at the door to offer him her seat, but sat back down when her silent offer was equally silently rejected. She straightened up and motioned to him to come in.

General Hammond was impressed. _She'd be great in the military,_ he thought as he took in her neatly made bed, orderly stack of books, and folded sweats. "Ms. Favale, I hope you enjoyed your night out last night."

Melody winced. "Yeah, it was quite… extraordinary," she phrased delicately.

"Ms. Favale, if you don't mind I have a few questions I would like to ask you." Teal'c rose, assuming that his superior would like some privacy, but was waved back into his seat on the bed. "No, Teal'c, it's all right. I'd prefer if you stayed, anyway."

"OK, General. What can I do for you?"

"Some of my superiors in Washington have expressed concern over allowing you to remain on this base. They believe that you may pose a threat to the safety of our personnel, given your training."

"I can assure you, Sir, that any training I have received as a medic, warrior, or scholar I would only use to benefit Earth. This is my home."

"Their concern lies with the training you received as a warrior. They've asked that I 'evaluate the threat', in their words."

"General, you been talking to Mayborn again?" Jack asked in an accusatory tone.

The General's silence gave him a definite answer. "If you and Teal'c agree to a little sparring match, I myself would like to see what you can do."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow toward Melody, unseen by General Hammond who was standing in front of him. He knew she hadn't slept at all the night before, as she was accustomed to doing, and had been quite ill a few times during the night.

Melody summarily ignored Teal'c and the concern he expressed. "Yes, Sir, if Teal'c does not mind."

Melody and General Hammond both turned expectant eyes on Teal'c, who nodded his agreement. He showed Melody to the protective gear and safeguarded himself. General Hammond wanted to laugh at that; he couldn't picture the small young woman doing the large Jaffa any serious damage. Colonel O'Neill joined him in watching the mock fight after admonishing Teal'c, "No injuring our guest, huh?"

It started off slowly, the two circling each other after bowing to begin. As soon as the first contact was successful, though, they both threw it into overdrive. They were firing off vicious hits that rarely landed where they were aimed; both were skilled in avoiding blows from their enemy. The two observers were impressed at the strength and speed they both exhibited, even though they had seen Teal'c in action before and knew this was him holding back. It soon became clear that although Melody was losing badly, she wasn't going to give up. The General finally called an end to the conflict once he figured he knew what Melody could do, and he felt sure that she could most definitely handle herself. He didn't let her losing to Teal'c put him off. The fact that she'd managed to mostly hold the large Jaffa at bay was an incredible feat, even if he knew Teal'c was taking it easy on her and aiming for the protective gear. He also knew that he could report back to Mayborn that one of his men had easily beaten her in hand-to-hand combat, he just didn't have to specify who.

Jack had brought in the weapons Melody brought with her, and as Teal'c relaxed she saw him laying them out on the floor near the edge of the mat she'd been sparring on. She took that as a hint to give a little demonstration with each. She spent the next quarter of an hour slicing through the air with staffs, knives, and something that looked like nun chucks, hitting targets with her portable bow and arrow set and blow gun, and demonstrating her prowess with a zat gun and a more traditional P90 and hand gun - the last few supplied by the base, of course. She had no training therefore no idea how to reload the things, so she took running out of ammunition as her cue that her little demonstration was over.

"Not bad," Jack remarked, reclaiming the now harmless handgun. Melody bent down to retrieve the discarded weapons as General Hammond watched her silently. She came to him and, the same way she'd done to Jack before she'd come through the gate with him, knelt in front of the entire mountain's CO and offered him her weapons.

"That's quite all right, Ms. Favale." General Hammond lifted her to her feet. "You can hold on to those."

"Thank you." She knew that it was a huge achievement for her to be trusted with her weapons. She strapped the belt securely around her waist. "Is there anything else you would like for me to do, General?"

"That's it for now. I believe Captain Carter is waiting for you in the infirmary. She mentioned something about you still needing clothes." Melody nodded slowly and left the room, then General Hammond turned to Teal'c. "I've got my own evaluation, but you were actually fighting her. Any thoughts?"

"She has been well trained. I did mistakenly make contact with her back, and for that I am sorry, but she still fought. She also showed some skill with her use of weapons."

"But is she a danger, Teal'c? Did she seem inclined to use excessive force?"

"Oh, come on," Jack blurted. "We were standing right here! She fought like any normal soldier would."

"Colonel, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that I need to put some pretty heavy minds to rest in Washington. It's a choice between us evaluating her or putting her through the gamut of psychological tests. So I'll repeat my question: do you think she's dangerous?"

"No, I do not," Teal'c replied truthfully. "If you will excuse me, I have promised Daniel Jackson I will assist him with some research."

Jack waited for Teal'c to leave the room before he called General Hammond on the smirk that had crept onto his face. "General? You wouldn't happen to have anything in mind for our young friend, would you?"

"Well, Colonel, I'm thinking she has no formal education and no marketable skills. She's been tormented for years, and I won't have her brought back to earth just to become MacDonald's new cashier. I was hoping she could fill some position here."

Jack smiled at his superior, a genuine smile. "You old softie," he let slip before he slipped out of the room.

And had it been anyone else, General Hammond would have denied it.


	5. Author's Note

Hi, all! I'm sorry for the delay in the story, but it's been a rough few weeks. My computer broke and I had to wipe my hard drive (oh, what fun!) so I lost the story, which I had almost complete, then my grandfather died this week... It's been crazy. I'm sorry to keep you waiting, but I should be able to put up a chapter by the end of next weekend. Thank you all for reading so far!


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